Ok i am not quite independent. Today I was taking care of car duties. Insurance, and a repair to be exact. I sorted the insurance out pretty quickly and am now fully covered. I then spent the afternoon on yell.com searching for somewhere that can supply car parts. I knew when I got the car that it needed a little repair done which apparently wouldn't cost me much money. So today i was ringing places to find out if they supply the part...and then calling garages to see how much they charge to fit it. Oh i felt so proud of myself doing a job to do with cars etc haha. Don't i need my dad or Gerry for that? Anyway i got on with it and swayed from feeling independent to feeling little a silly little girl as I asked 'Do you have this part thingimy for my red car'? Ha ha Ok i wasn't that bad but hey I got the job done and the car is booked in for repair on Saturday morning and then I plan on driving everyday.
One problem though is cash. Insurance, repairs, petrol OH MY! Living on Benefits is not easy. Plus I'm a smoker and cigarettes in the UK cost a small fortune( yeh yeh i will stop eventually), not to mention the fact i need to money to live on. So my head is a little cloudy at the moment and the main image before my eyes is pound signs (or lack of them) ughh.
The good news though. The exciting part... today I went out driving with my occupational therapist, Karen. We drove my usual route and then I added another few roads. I felt pretty good. But then i told her to take a long road as i was determined to seethe sign ' YOU ARE NOW LEAVING LINWOOD'. Sadly this sign didn't appear. I thought that maybe I had misjudged it and the sign would be further up the road than I was, but we turned at a round-a-bout and headed back the way. Soon i noticed it. 'WELCOME TO LINWOOD' . YEY!!! So today i left my town for the first time in 5 years... even if only for a few seconds. Very very happy.
Thursday, 26 March 2009
A wee bit independant
Posted by Lynn at 18:51
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4 comments:
Well done lynn, thats great! and well done on getting the car stuff sorted out, that sort of thing scares me.
I know what you mean about the money you spend on a car, my insurance each month is so high!
Good luck with the driving
x
That's awesome that you have something fun to work on like that. I really think the ultimate cure for agoraphobia is just having something compelling to get you out of the house.
Nothing like facing intense fear just to go to the store or something.
Brilliant. Leaving town is a very big thing. Seeing that sign must have really lifted you. I know if it was me I'd still be moonwalking around the living room and posting it on youtube.
As far as independance goes you really cannot beat having a car. My best spells of recovery were in the car so I really should be getting back in it like you are doing. But the downside is they are a constant financial drain. Its worth asking about to see if anyone can recommend a good mechanic- where does your dad and Gerry go? If you find a good local one then its well worth it.
All the best
Nechtan
Yip i am quickly learning about the cost. Insurance, and then the repair cost more than i expected, PLUS i bought the wrong part first so thats extra. Now i have the road tax and MOT to think about. Just as well the car was free or i wouldnt be able to afford this... infact i still cant afford it! Im just hoping it will be worth it in the end
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